Azhar, there are several of these, but you can probably group them into those already included in vehicles for sale and those still forthcoming.

Present innovations include: self-parking cars, electric powertrains, hybrid powertrains, lane assist, heads-up displays, LED lighting, dual-clutch transmissions, direct fuel injection, active aerodynamics, and so on.

Among forthcoming innovations, the key one is self-driving automobiles. There are already many experimental vehicles that can do this, but legal impediments (who would be held responsible if there is an accident involving a self-driving car?) have to be sorted.

I hope this helps.

I would agree with most of what Mr Yujuico  states, except for what he terms as “active aerodyamics” – it is unclear what is intended by that term unless of course he means that the actual physical shape of the car changes automatically to reduce drag. I am not aware of it, except perhaps in Formula 1 racing cars where the driver can reduce air resistance /drag by changing the configuration or orientation of the wings, spoilers, etc.

Driverless-cars are also being tested – actually Google tested one recently and it crashed into a passing car, on 14th Feb 2016. Volvo has just started to test such a car on a special stretch of road in Gothenburg/Goteborg, where there are no other vehicles and people.

Hydrogen fuel cell cars are now being produced but you would need to have a hydrogen gas filling station close by. There is another feature called “regenerative braking”, which does something different to what happens during braking, when heated is generated and of course lost. In regenerative braking the energy emitted is captured and stored in batteries for subsequent use.

If you ask me, it is’nt there yet but what about cars that can fly? -- it’s a figment of man’s imagination, but I see nothing to stop that coming true, not tomorrow or in the next N years, but perhaps in 10-15 years from now, if we consider active aerodynamics, Actually a company called Terrafugia has been working on such a car, the the TF-X which it says will be able to fly and land but you need another ten or so years of long patience… And do not forget the hovercraft – it does not touch the surface but hovers above it, and so, in a sense technically, it is “flying”, some might say…

(a) "technological" research trends:

- improving efficiency of propulsion (e.g. by electrification)

- reduction of emissions

- lightweight design

- active safety (driving assistance functions)

- automated driving

- improving ergonomics & comfort

- car communication (car to car & car to infrastructure)

- consideration of the entire life-cycle for evaluation of technologies (production, in-use phase, end-of-life phase)

(b) market-related development trends:

- numerous car derivates on same platforms

- new vehicle concepts for urban mobility

- integration of cars into mobility concepts (e.g. car sharing, multi-modal mobility)

- (more) sustainability evaluation of cars by increasing awareness of customers and legislation, considering the entire life-cycle

kind regards,

Mario

Thank you for your contribution. I am considering innovations in automobile for my research and these ideas would be of great help.

Thanks

Thank you Ales,

I am attempting to consider innovations in various fields of an automobile from the consumers' point of view. Safety, Performance, Engine and its efficiency, comfort, infotainment, as well the service part. My research has a difference vantage point as far as Innovation is considered. I am looking at the resistance of the consumers to these innovations either to buy or to use.

In safety, EBD in the braking system can be considered as an innovation in the present context of India. Many consumers even dont prefer ABS (Hardly anyone know about EBD and BA).

Thanks again for your contribution. Looking forward for more.